What Goes Well With Absinthe?

[technodaddy]

Absinthe .... uh all I remember is the neon colors swirling.............

[Drew]

The kind you cut open and repack.

[schweiger_schmoke]

I have never had this drink...


Is it considered a liquor?

Why is it controversial?



I've heard a few things about it and my suggestion would be:

sex.

















.

[No1der]

Originally Posted by schweiger_schmoke

I have never had this drink...


Is it considered a liquor?

Why is it controversial?



I've heard a few things about it and my suggestion would be:

sex.

















.

This is going to be a long reply because I'm copying this from Wikipedia but it answers your question perfectly...

Effects:
Absinthe has long been believed to be hallucinogenic, but no evidence supports this. Ten years after Dr. Magnan's experiments with wormwood oil, he studied 250 cases of alcoholism and claimed that those who drank absinthe were worse off than those who just drank alcohol, and that they experienced, among other things, rapidly brought-on hallucinations.[44] Few descriptions of these hallucinations exist from actual absinthe drinkers beyond a few quotes from poets after a long night of drinking. In one of the most famous, Oscar Wilde describes the feeling of tulips on his legs after leaving a bar at closing.[45] These beliefs got a boost in the 1970s when a scientific paper mistakenly reported thujone was related to THC and most likely had similar hallucinogenic properties based on its shape.[46] With the advent of usenet and web recipes 'trip reports' have been circulating for many years. These home recipes sometimes call for known hallucinogenic herbs in a mistaken attempt to recreate Absinthe's supposed hallucinogenic effects.

Today it is known that absinthe does not cause hallucinations, especially those described in the old studies. Thujone, the supposed active chemical in absinthe, is a GABA antagonist and while it can produce muscle spasms in large doses there is no evidence it causes hallucinations.

The effects of absinthe have been described by artists as mind opening and even hallucinogenic and by prohibitionists as turning "good people" "mad and desolate". Sometimes called 'secondary effects', the most commonly reported experience is a 'clear-headed' feeling of inebriation - a 'lucid drunkenness', said to be caused by the thujone and other compounds. Some, such as chemist/absinthe historian Ted Breaux, say that these effects may be caused by the fact that some of the compounds act as stimulants, others as sedatives, overall creating a neutral effect.[47] Most others feel that the placebo effect and individual reaction to the herbs make these secondary effects subjective and minor compared to the psychoactive effects of alcohol.

A study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol[48] concluded that a high concentration of thujone in alcohol has negative effects on attention performance. It slowed down reaction time, and subjects concentrated their attention in the central field of vision. Medium doses did not produce an effect noticeably different from plain alcohol. The high dose of thujone in this study was larger than what one can get from current beyond-EU-regulation 'high thujone' absinthe before becoming too drunk to notice, and while the effects of even this high dose were statistically significant in a double blind test, the test subjects themselves could still not reliably identify which samples were the ones containing thujone. As most people describe the effects of absinthe as a more lucid and aware drunk, this suggests that thujone alone is not the cause of these effects.

LEGALITY:
United States

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "The importation of Absinthe and any other liquors or liqueurs that contain Artemisia absinthium is prohibited."[52] This runs contrary to FDA regulations, which allow Artemisia species in foods or beverages, but those that contain Artemisia species, white cedar, oak moss, tansy or Yarrow, must be thujone free.[53] Other herbs that contain thujone have no restrictions. For example, sage and sage oil (which can be almost 50% thujone[43]) are on the FDA's list of substances generally recognized as safe.[54]

The prevailing consensus of interpretation of United States law and regulations among American absinthe connoisseurs is that it is probably legal to purchase such a product for personal use in the U.S. It is prohibited to sell items meant for human consumption which contain thujone derived from Artemisia species. (This derives from a Food and Drug Administration regulation, as opposed to a DEA regulation.) Customs regulations specifically forbid the importation of 'absinthe'. Absinthe can be and occasionally is seized by United States Customs if it appears to be for human consumption and can be seized inside the U.S. with a warrant.[55][56]

A faux-absinthe liquor called Absente, made with southern wormwood (Artemisia abrotanum) instead of grande wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), is sold legally in the United States and does not contain thujone.

Malört, a wormwood-based liqueur, has been sold legally in Chicago for more than 70 years. The makers of Malört, however, state that the variety of wormwood they use contains no thujone.

In 2007, Viridian Spirits LLC released Lucid, an authentic absinthe made using grande wormwood (Artemesia absinthium), in the US. Lucid is reported to have a low enough Thujone content to pass US regulatory requirements.[57]

[celticgent]

Originally Posted by jagmqt

I tried to find the type I had...it was a gift from my brother-in-law, but I couldn't find it on a basic google search, so I gave up...I'd be curious to know if you've tried the kind I've had and how it rates...that bottle was my only experience with the stuff...it was in a rectangular bottle, shaped kind of like a Disaronno bottle...jag

you probably had sebor, which is crap.



here's an actual review from the best absinthe information site available:
http://www.feeverte.net/guide/countr...sebor_absinth/

Originally Posted by jagmqt

I just don't find any glory in alcohol over 100 proof...that goes for any of them...Everclear, Absinthe, Wild Turkey, Yukon Jack, Southern Comfort (and I'm an avid drinker of the white label)...to each his own, I guess...

I like Ouzo and Sambuca...maybe I should find an 80 proof Absinthe and give it another chance...they all have that distinct anise flavor...

Now I'm in a problem cause all this chatter is making me thristy...

jag

if you added the correct amount of water, you wouldn't be drinking anything close to 100 proof.

generally you put a couple of shots of absinthe in a glass and fill the REST OF THE GLASS with ice cold water.

therefore, drinking ouzo or buca straight would taste MUCH harsher than a properly prepared drink of absinthe.

[tippytwo]

Absinthe in the US is illegal because in the processing, certain harmful chemicals get into the alcohol. It does not pass safety laws in this country.

Cuban cigars are illegal because of the Cuban embargo.

Now with that out of the way, I'd assume you'd probably want a mild cigar to go with such a strong drink. 132 proof is 66% alcohol. Not as strong as Everclear or Bacardi 151, but still pretty damn strong. Personally, I wouldn't want to smoke a really strong cigar because I'd already be pretty messed up from the Absinthe that I wouldn't want to get more messed up from a strong cigar!

hf!

-T2

[No1der]

Originally Posted by celticgent

you probably had sebor, which is crap.



here's an actual review from the best absinthe information site available:
http://www.feeverte.net/guide/countr...sebor_absinth/



if you added the correct amount of water, you wouldn't be drinking anything close to 100 proof.

generally you put a couple of shots of absinthe in a glass and fill the REST OF THE GLASS with ice cold water.

therefore, drinking ouzo or buca straight would taste MUCH harsher than a properly prepared drink of absinthe.

Sebor is absolutely terrible. It taste more like aftershave then it does Absinthe...

Stay away from Sebor at all costs.

[AdamTrioxin]

Wow it's kind of weird coming across this post, I actually had a Patel Sun Grown last night while enjoying a glass of Clandestine Charlotte Absinthe. I've found for me anyway that most cigars go well with absinthe, it's my drink of choice with a stogie.

Adam

[No1der]

Originally Posted by AdamTrioxin

Wow it's kind of weird coming across this post, I actually had a Patel Sun Grown last night while enjoying a glass of Clandestine Charlotte Absinthe. I've found for me anyway that most cigars go well with absinthe, it's my drink of choice with a stogie.

Adam

Wow, that's great to know... I haven't had a cigar with a nice glass of Absinthe yet.. It's kinda strange since I've enjoyed The Green Fairy for several years but somehow I never thought of having a stogie with it.

[celticgent]

Originally Posted by No1der

Wow, that's great to know... I haven't had a cigar with a nice glass of Absinthe yet.. It's kinda strange since I've enjoyed The Green Fairy for several years but somehow I never thought of having a stogie with it.

well, i'd have to say that scotch, irish and bourbon were my favorite whilst smoking a cigar or pipe, but on occasion i'd have ouzo or absinthe with a stick and found it pleasurable.

i'd definitely pick somethinging light-bodied, as to not take away from the taste of the drink.

[Ye Olde Phart]

Originally Posted by PadronMe

Chopping off your ear.

I'd say a good earguard, such as good wrestling headgear would be a nice accessorie for such an occassion. For example (with a good sturdy lock on the chin strap):

[audilicious]

Originally Posted by tippytwo

Absinthe in the US is illegal because in the processing, certain harmful chemicals get into the alcohol. It does not pass safety laws in this country.

Cuban cigars are illegal because of the Cuban embargo.

-T2

I guess you didn't understand my inference to both of them falling in the same category. fakes being slung around to unsuspecting college kids.

And you CAN buy absinthe in the US, it just isn't made with wormwood. Which is kinda like smoking a fake cuban, it's a cigar, just not made with cuban tobacco.

either way, this isn't worth any sort of argument starting.

To those absinthe noobs, look up proper ingestion methods, don't drink from the bottle.

[No1der]

Originally Posted by audilicious

I guess you didn't understand my inference to both of them falling in the same category. fakes being slung around to unsuspecting college kids.

And you CAN buy absinthe in the US, it just isn't made with wormwood. Which is kinda like smoking a fake cuban, it's a cigar, just not made with cuban tobacco.

either way, this isn't worth any sort of argument starting.

To those absinthe noobs, look up proper ingestion methods, don't drink from the bottle.

Please, for the sake of your livers, don't drink the stuff straight... There is no such thing as Absinthe Neat...

[jkorp]

Apparently Absinthe is no longer illegal in the US, or better stated, never really was illegal. And I mean real Absinthe containing Thujone (Wormwood). According to the homepage of the wormwoodsociety, authentic Absinthe can now be had in the US. Interesting.

[ChuckW]

Originally Posted by No1der

Well, considering how expensive good Absinthe can be I have found that the Pernod is pretty good.

Aren't you confusing absinthe with annisette?